Theme: MESSENGERS WITHOUT A
MESSAGE
Memorise: Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 2nd Timothy 4:2
Bible Text: 2nd Samuel 18:19-33, Bible in one year: 1st Kings
14:1-15:24, Luke 4:38-5:16
One anomaly noticeable in the Body of Christ today is the presence of
messengers running around without a message. An example of such messengers is
Ahimaaz in today’s Bible reading. After the death of Absalom, Joab, the captain
of David’s army, sent Cushi with a message to the palace; but Ahimaaz
volunteered himself to also deliver a message to the king. In spite of the fact
that Joab reminded him that he had no reason to go since he had no message to
deliver, he insisted that he would, and he was allowed to. The funny thing
about this story is that, Ahimaaz outran Cushi who actually had a message to
deliver. When Ahimaaz got to King David and he was interrogated, the
emptiness of his message was laid bare, and the king therefore asked him to
step aside for the person who actually had substance in his message. One cannot
help but wonder: what was the essence of Ahimaaz’s effort, so much so that he
outran the person who actually had a message?
The attitude demonstrated by Ahimaaz can be referred to as zeal without
meaning. This is the situation of some so-called ministers of the gospel today.
They are massagers sent by their belly or by the devil (Romans 16:18). How do
we know messengers without a message? We know them by their deceptive speeches,
which are geared towards making people “feel good” when they should be sober
about their lifestyle of sin. Apostle Paul, while giving his final charge to
Timothy, his son in Christ and a young bishop, instructed him to:
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of
season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
2nd Timothy 4:2
Today, many so-called sermons are actually motivational speeches, given
by motivational speakers disguised as preachers. Their message cannot be the
word of God; it contains no rebuke, no reproof and no doctrine. As a matter of
policy, they would not teach doctrine because they say they have not been
called to do so! One cannot help wondering who commissioned them in the first
place. It is their belly, of course (Philippians 3:17-19). Beloved, I advise
you to be careful of the ministers you listen to, and to filter the type of
sermons you admit into your spiritual sub-consciousness. On the other hand, if
you are a deceptive preacher of the gospel, desist before the anger of God
comes on you without remedy.
Prayer Point: Father, help me to recognize your appointed messengers, and grant me
the grace to listen and do according to Your bidding through them.
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